Outdoor gear

Twice a year, once in February and once in August, Salt Lake City becomes the center of the outdoor retailing world. OR, as it has come to be known, is the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show where everybody who is anybody in the outdoor business meets to talk gear and adventure. Here are three great products, which represent the best in outdoor gear.

Teva Chair 5• This boot from Teva proves their R&D gurus are thinking outside of the winter boot box. Lightweight and waterproof this packable boot is still extremely warm. Lined with 250 grams of 3M Thinsulate the Chair 5 is going to be the pair to draw to when cold weather hits and the snow is getting deep. Available August 2012 • Estimated retail price to be announced.

Petzl NAO Headlamp • The light beam on the new NAO Headlamp is “intelligent,” meaning that it can sense what and where you are pointing it and adjust accordingly. If you are digging around in your canoe pack at 3:00 am the 355 lumen lamp will soften, save energy, and not give you a blast of light to your face. Likewise, point it at that far-off bear coming into your camp and Yogi will get the full treatment, lighting up like a Christmas tree. Available July 2012 • Estimated retail: $175.

SmartWool PhD SmartLoft Divide• Here is a jacket, which is stuffed with fluffed-up Merino wool just like the feathers in your goose down jackets. This new design by SmartWool is proclaimed to be just as warm as down, even if it gets wet. The line will debut in the fall of this year with the Merino insulation and a weather-resistant shell. Available Fall 2012 • Estimated retail: $200.

And that is just a sample of all the cool gear coming to market in the next few months. Keep checking back here, and I will let you know of the great gear finds perfect for your outdoor adventure.